AndrewC Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Morning all. Bright and sunny in the boring borough. Back from dropping SWMBO at the hospital for her knee surgery. Hopefully she'll be done, dusted, and ready for pick up sometime in the afternoon. Its a keyhole procedure so unless she has complications they will toss her out the door asap. Unusual gifts? I had a dotty old aunt that was a lot like Aunt Bethany in Christmas Vacation. While she never wrapped up her cat, she did have a strange way with gifts. The running joke was to give her something really nice as you were likely to get it back next year. One year for some strange reason she gave my mum a pair of slippers. Not just any old slippers but JAL slippers. The ones that Japanese Airlines gave out to their first class passengers on long haul flights. No idea where she got them as the only planes she ever got close to were the ones in the AV Roe factory where she worked during the war. Never flew in her life. Needless to say it became part of the family folklore. "behave yourself or you will get Japanese Airline slippers for your birthday". I could go on with tales of silliness but I shall save them for another time. Right, I'm running on empty, no coffee no food so I'm off to forage. Failing that, its a short walk to the nearest Wetherspoon's for breakfast. Laters Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Neil's post about a colleague's liking for strong tea reminded me of when I was a young secondman at a South London depot. There was a high proportion of Scots drivers who'd come down to London to get their drivers jobs a lot sooner than if they'd stayed in Scotland. On an early shift at around 4am, a tradition of theirs was to make tea in an old electric urn. Inside you'd find half a box of cheap teabags, a couple of mugs of sugar and a good few pints of milk all brought to the boil and allowed to stew for at least half an hour. Sounds disgusting but on a cold winter's morning, it was absolutely wonderful stuff... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2014 back to the rain this morning. I am another fond of a cuppa but don't leave the tea bag to stew please. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 No tea in this house. Be hard pushed to find a teabag that wasn't last century's Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I am also generally a coffee person - particularly in the mornings, but at the moment I am going through a tea drinking phase as a result of having my Girlfriend having found PG Tips in the local supermarket. As far as presents go, I remember one Christmas my Mum getting a present from a family member that my ex-wife had given the previous year. Plus, it was wrapped up in paper that my Mum had used the previous year! My Mum saw the funny side of it, but remarked that it would have been nicer if the paper hadn't had the original recipients name in her writing. "Then, I might not have recognised it so readily!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold grandadbob Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2014 where members brought or described the most unusual or inappropriate gift they'd ever received. Not a gift but many years ago I won the "booby" prize in the weekly raffle at my Rugby club which consisted of the latest copy of Playboy with all the "interesting" photographs removed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Coffee - industrial strength (at least three spoons) - black. And I need three of these every morning. Tea - just wave the tea bag over the mug - black, preferably with lemon. An occasional drink. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purley Oaks Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Morning all Grey here and chilly. Saw two Edinburgh trams running yesterday at the York Place Terminus (that's close to St Andrew Square). The stop at York Place is single track; one tram was at the stop, with a second waiting for the first tram to head back to St Andrew Square. They look good - cannae wait to grab a ride! Mal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashcombe Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 [quote name="New Haven Neil" post="1371884" timestamp="1394095560" I don't even like the smell of it, making tea at work is a trial for me. A young colleague likes her tea so strong the bag is left in, and it brews to a sort of tarmacadam consistency - that really turns my stomach! Seems odd, she's very 'girly' with most things (but is a formidable probation officer) but drinks tea so strong a builder would blanche! All part of life's rich tapestry. Only way to drink tea! With just a little milk and no sugar. Yorkshire Tea is a favourite but we also enjoy Fair Trade tea bags from Oxfam. Since Christmas, we've had a coffee machine but I tend to have coffee only for elevenses. Any later and I'm hyper at bedtime! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 6, 2014 In a raffle once someone put in a condom (unused in its wrapper I might add). It was won by an 84-year-old. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashcombe Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Not a gift but many years ago I won the "booby" prize in the weekly raffle at my Rugby club which consisted of the latest copy of Playboy with all the "interesting" photographs removed. A non booby prize then!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 A non booby prize then!! Someone had to say it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 6, 2014 Morning all, drinking my second cup of tea as I type multitasking whatever next? It used to be coffee in the mornings and only the odd cup of tea, when revising for my exams I had a filter coffee machine and drank it black no sugar. Lost half a stone by giving up sugar! Weather is boring, dry but grey. More rumours about our building being sold/ used for industrial start ups/ demolished/turned into apartments etc never a happy time looking where other staff have been moved to cubicle farms a mile from free parking and not enough desks to go round. Hot desking was dreamt up by people who don't need resources to do their job or have no intention of allowing hot desking in their office. I would promise to stop winging as I still have a job but the thought I may lose it to pay for Camerons election bribe sticks in my throat. Tomorrow is Friday so nearly the weekend.... drive 350 miles to return number one son to uni oh joy......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium AndyB Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 6, 2014 Morning all. On my second cup of decaf coffee - had to give the real stuff up back in the autumn. Feeling much better for that move, too. This morning I'm putting in a sweet pea wigwam and later planting on the seedlings that have been hardening off in the greenhouse. If there's time I may sow the remaining chilli seeds. World Book Week is hitting the school tomorrow. SWBO has been busy making a costume for the youngest - he's mad about Dr Who, so she's made him a waistcoat. Very talented seamstress! Wonder if she'll turn my new pair of jeans up sometime? Have a nice day everyone. Andy 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2014 My mother was brought up in a family (there must have been at least 12 of them there usually) that made tea in an urn with milk and sugar. The version I was raised with was one teaspoon of tea (Co-op 99 blend) per person in the teapot which was then boiled for a few minutes until purple. I now drink weak tea (made with PG tips) milk, no sugar. I am rarely disappointed with presents as I don't seem to get any. Aditi insisted I had something to open this Christmas as our niece would be here and Aditi thought she should see everyone getting presents! Aditi does receive some strange presents from her sister. I think she buys one of everything from the Lakeland gifts catalogue and then decides who gets what. In recent years Aditi has received laundry fresh scented lavatory deodoriser, microwaveable slippers and a cat shaped remote control holder at Christmas. She has now moved on to giving food. Seasonal pickles mainly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2014 Morninnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng all, Guess whose keyboard batteries just uttered their final, wild, effort - wonder why it reoeated like that with no fingers anywhere near it? Anyway to more serious matters - tea, luvverly Yorkshire Tea in industrial quantities, the best way to start the day. Alas I find coffee the most disappointing drink in the world - the really good stuff smells marvellous and tastes terrible and seems to do little between entering my body and leaving it, almost as bad as eating asparagus. Today we have log shifting to replenish the ready use stack in the porch, the two cats definitely like the wood burner and on cool days seem to demand it be lit (with menaces) - when it's cold their demands are even more obvious. Later a trip to Reading to view some 1860s sketches of GWR engines on offer to the GWS although the earlier intimation that they would be 'fre has suddenly turned into a request for money, hmm. Have a good day folks. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium southern42 Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 6, 2014 Just having a cuppa - no sugar. Milky coffee at lunchtime, perhaps. Have a good a good (de/caffeinated) day. Polly Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete 75C Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 (edited) World Book Week is hitting the school tomorrow. Oh dear God! I thought it was today! My daughter left for school this morning dressed as Matilda... she'll go mad if she got the day wrong (and it will somehow be my fault, naturally)... Edited March 6, 2014 by Pete 75C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2014 Any later and I'm hyper at bedtime! Should ensure the other half sleeps well with silly grin etc! Ahem. Morning all Another gorgeous morning - and apparently set fair for a few days to come. I should have been bringing the dobbins home today, but Anita rang earlier to postpone. As she'd only got back from Blighty in the small hours - that did seem reasonable! Now scheduled for Saturday morning. Fortuitous as it gives me time to nip out and buy a new earth pole for the electric fence, which is giving very little oomph, certainly nowhere near the advertised 11,000 volts! I have tea first thing, orange juice with breakfast then a couple of coffees mid-morning, from a Nespresso machine. I try to buy the strongest varieties of after-market compatible capsules, about 30% cheaper than Nespresso's own brand, which is only available mail-order. Being ex-railway, I was steeped in tea-lore from day I at work. In the Control at Redhill - a building hastily erected at the height of the Blitz - we had a large kettle permanently simmering if not boiling on a gas stove. Years later, the Area Signalling Inspector at Ashford found the same arrangement in the platform supervisor's office, just through the wall from his own office, but a long walk right round the building. Sometimes he'd nip round to make a cuppa and find the water not ready, and have to wait. He dreamed of having a "Water Boiling Indicator" on that party wall! Hope the sun shines on you today. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 6, 2014 Oh dear God! I thought it was today! My daughter left for school this morning dressed as Matilda... she'll go mad if she got the day wrong (and it will somehow be my fault, naturally)... It is supposed to be today some schools will make it Friday to end the week with a bit of fun. Fun is not approved by OFSTED or Mr Gove other types of schools are available. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two_sugars Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Tea . . . about a dozen per day . . . . . . . . . . . maybe should change my name to 24 sugars. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold grandadbob Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2014 Tea from 5.00am until breakfast then coffee until lunchtime then tea until evening meal then more coffee - all hot, strong & sweet just like my women the woman I love! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 6, 2014 Only way to drink tea! With just a little milk and no sugar. Yorkshire Tea is a favourite but we also enjoy Fair Trade tea bags from Oxfam. Since Christmas, we've had a coffee machine but I tend to have coffee only for elevenses. Any later and I'm hyper at bedtime! Indeed it is Yorkshire Tea that the young killer probation officer insists on! Looks like butter wouldn't melt too, but believe me you don't want to be an offending teenager on the wrong side of her! She gets great results, never gives up on the kids, and runs on tea so is cheap to employ..... The rest of the team are jealous as she is 29 but looks 16. Whereas I'm 54 and look......ahem..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 When I was young, a Great Uncle gave me a gift which turned out to be a large blue plastic rabbit. It had a rubber bulb attached which made the rabbit hop when squeezed. It was for my 16th birthday. We had a neighbour that gave me Rupert Annuals every Christmas until I was 16 - I was with Decca Records by then.... Best, Pete. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium AndyB Posted March 6, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 6, 2014 Oh dear God! I thought it was today! My daughter left for school this morning dressed as Matilda... she'll go mad if she got the day wrong (and it will somehow be my fault, naturally)... Don't worry about it. I believe today is the actual day but our school is doing their event tomorrow. I've got one Dr Who and one Mallory Towers character to dress tomorrow. Better start practicing "pigtails"! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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